The Currents of Moslem and Bektash Writing in Albania

Albanian Catholic Bulletin in s( THE CURRENTS OF MOSLEM Bekt AND BEKTASH WRITING IN ALBANIA nian menl (1850-1950)1 also subs guer took Though the most creative and innovative forces death, lived at the famous Bektash teke (monas· flee of Albanian literature and culture in the second tery) of Durballi in Thessaly, one of the oldest in poel half of the nineteenth century were encompassed the Balkans. He wrote verse both in Turkish and nati( within the Rilindja movement of national awaken in Albanian. Amongst his disciples at the great bure ing, Albanian literature in Arabic script did not teke of Durballi was Baba Abidin Leskoviku from the: wane completely2. Indeed, the Moslem and Bektash Leskovik in southern Albania, founder of the Tep literature of the late nineteenth and early twenti Leskovik teke. Leskoviku composed spiritual verse lang eth centuries with its primarily religious fixation in Turkish and Albanian, including a hymn to the continued to evolve in accordance with the liter Durballi. Another talented author of much mysti· prise ary, cultural and,c in particular, spiritual traditions cal verse was Baba Adem Vexh-hi 0841-1927) that set in the eighteenth century and, in the process, from Gjakove. He travelled widely, in particular the came to evince not only a higher level of skill, on pilgrimages to Mecca, Medina and Kerbela. In bles discipline and erudition, but also an increase in 1877, he was sent as a baba (father) to Prizren 155< artistic and linguistic refinement. Nonetheless, it where he opened a teke. From 1922 to his death, teer. must be said that the more directly religious focus he headed the teke in his native Gjakove. Baba epic of Albanian writing in Arabic script in this period Meleq Shemberdhenji, also known as Meleq Bab resulted in its gradually more restrictive usage as a Staravecka, was from the Skrapar region of south· the vehicle of literary expression and thus in its es ern Albania and was educated at the now aban· bab trangement from the mainstream of Albanian lit doned Bektash teke in Cairo, where he became a 191· erature and culture. dervish. He returned to Albania and took part in by I the nationalist movement, in particular by illegally It was the Bektash who best maintained the to , distributing books and spreading new ideas. link between the Albanian nationalist movement Ane Shemberdhenji held the title of baba at the teke and the cultural traditions of the Orient in the peri bearing his name until 1914 when the latter was nineteenth century. The relatively liberal and open eK destroyed. He is the author of both nationalist and minded character of their religious practices and bal:; religious verse in Albanian collected in a now their pantheistic beliefs including both Islamic and con extremely rare volume published in the twenties. Christian elements enabled them to strive to break afte Shemberdhenji is considered one of the best down the barriers separating the Moslem, Catholic Alb Bektash poets of the period. He was also a friend and Orthodox communities. The best known Al on and admirer of Nairn Frasheri whom he called, banian Bektash author by far was Nairn. bey his "Zemra e Shqiperise, gurra e urtesise, pishtar j Frasherl (1846-1900) whose religious, nationalist Gja vegjelise, shejtor i njerezise" (The heart of Albania, and didactic works, because of their significance tol the fountain of wisdom, torch-bearer of the poor, and exceptional impact on the national awaken to saint of humanity). ing in the late nineteenth century, are best treated Mal within the realms of Rilindja literature. The Bektash tradition of religious and patriotic ver verse, inspired both by the sect's mystic and pan· Among the many other Bektash poets of the the theistic beliefs and by its nationalist aspirations, wa: period was Baba Muharem Mahzuni or Mehzuni continued well into the twentieth century. Baba (d. 1867) from Gjirokaster who, from 1845 to his wh Ibrabimi from the teke of Qesarake near Kolonje the. 172 1994 - Vol. XV 1~ The Moslem and Bektash Writing in Albania in southern Albania was active, like many other sian. Towards the end of his life, he also wrote in Bektash leaders, in the secret distribution of Alba Albanian. The German oriental scholar Franz nian books and literature, and suffered imprison Babinger 0891-1967) who visited Baba Selim at ment by Turkish military forces. In 1913, he was his teke described his verse as being exceptionally also arrested by the Greek authorities but was beautiful. Poet, writer and translator Baba All subsequently freed by nationalist figure, poet and Tomorl (d. 1947) was born in Shale near Tepelene guerrilla Sali Butka 0852-1938). When the Greeks and studied in Janina (I6annina in northern Greece) :::>nas took Kolonje again, Baba Ibrahimi was forced to as had Nairn and Sami Frasheri. After the burning flee and his teke was burnt down. In one of his of the tekes in 1913-1915, he moved to Cairo, ~st in poems, Dimri (Winter), he compares the Albanian returning to Albania only after the end of World I and great nation, ravaged by war and oppression, to the War I. He helped organize the three Bektash Con from burden of a long hard Winter. Baba Salihu from gresses held in Albania in the twenties (1921 in :- the the southern Albanian village of Matohasanaj near Prishte, 1926 in Gjirokaster, and 1929 in Koefe) ....erse Tepelene used his teke as an illegal Albanian which led to the establishment of a recognized language elementary school. He was also active in religious community in the country. Tomori is the n to the distribution of Albanian books and was im author of at least six books of Bektash literature :J.ysti prisoned by the Turks in 1902. It was in prison and history, including poetry translations and origi :927) that he wrote much of his poetry and translated nal verse, some of which was published under cular the epic Hadfqatu as-su 'ada (The garden of the a. In the pseudonym Ali Tyrabiu. He opposed all reli izren blessed) of the great Azerbaijan poet Fuzfill 0494 gious fanaticism in his writings and endeavoured eath, 1556), the work which had also inspired the nine to combine Christian and Bektash elements. Tomori 3aba teenth-century poet Dalip Frasheri in his Albanian was one of the rare Bektash authors who aban leIeq epic Hadika. Also from the Tepelene region was doned Arabic script and used the Latin alphabet mth 8aba Ahmed Torani (d. 1928), who travelled to for publication, a change worthy of note. Some of ban the Middle East in his youth. He took the title his works also appeared in newspapers and jour ne a baba in 1908 in his native village of Turan. In nals of the period. In 1947, he was accused of 1914, his teke, like many others, was burned down :rt in espionage, sentenced to death and executed. all by Greek extremists and he was forced to move 5 y The last of the Bektash poets in this tradition :eas. to Vlore. He is said to have been a talented poet. is Ibrahim Hasnaj (b. 1912) of Tirane, who uses teke Another author of Bektash spiritual verse in the the pseudonyms Hima and Bardhyl Nizami. Hasnaj, was period was Salih Nijazi Dedei (1876-1941) of Starje who is also remembered for his rediscovery of the and e Kolonjes who was raised in Anatolia, became a early nineteenth-century Bektash poet Zenel Bastari, now baba in 1908 and a kryegjysh (elder) of the Bektash became a Bektash himself in 1937, the year he ties. community in 1916. He remained in Turkey even began writing verse. He was secretary-general of best after the closing of the tekes there. He returned to the pre-war Bektash community and editor-in-chief .end Albania at the end of 1930 and was shot to death of the Bektash periodical Djersa (Sweat), of which led, on 28 November 1941 in Tirane, apparently for his opposition to Italian rule. Baba Hamza eight issues were published up to 1947. Ibrahim 'lr i Hasnaj was imprisoned for ten years from 1947 to nia, Gjakova 0882-1952) from Gjakove also journeyed 1957 in Tirane prison, initially in a cell with writ :>or, to the Middle East as a young man and returned to take the title baba at the teke of Shtipi in ers Petro Marko, Andrea Varfi and Mitrush Kuteli, Macedonia in 1912. He was the author of much and suffered a further five years internment. He is otic verse of Bektash and Shi'ite inspiration. One of the author of three volumes of as yet unpublished lan the best educated Bektash writers of the period mystical verse of Bektash inspiration: Une dhe )ns, was Baba Selim Ruhi 0869-1944) from Elbasan ndiesite e mia, 1939 (My absolution and I), Lot aha who became a baba in 1907 and is the author of skamnoresh, 1940 (Tears of the suffering), and nje three poetic divans in Arabic, Turkish and Per Rreze te zjarrta, 1980 (Fiery rays). It goes without XV 1994 - Vol. XV 173 ,.., Albanian Catholic Bulletin saying that these volumes, written in Latin script, ing religious and political figure from Gjakove remained well hidden over the long years in which who is said to have headed a teke there for sev· vel religion was persecuted in Albania and any liter enty-five years, we have one piece of religious Mo ary expression thereof was extremely dangerous. verse entitled Tbirr me zemer (Call out with your lite With the final lifting of the ban on religion, the heart).

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